Insulated rail-joint.



No. 7II,l05. Patented Oct. I4, |902.

n. .1. en eeusv. .INSULATED RAIL JOINT.

(Application and June 2e. 1902.) (lo Modal.)

2 Sheets-Shoot l.

e Noam: Pneus no. mofa-Limo.. wnsnwafou, n c.

No. 7||,l05 Patented Oct. I4, |902.

M. J. GREENEY.

INSULATED BAIL JUINT.

(Application led lun. 26, 1902.) (llo Modal.) 2 Sheath-Shoot 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

MICHAELIGREENEY, OF BUFFALO, NEWYORK.

4INSU LATED RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of IlettersPatent No. 711,105, dated October 14, 1902.

Application filed June 26,1902.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. GREENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the countyof Erie and State of New York,have invented new and useful Im provements in Insulated Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the insulated joints employed on railroads in which the rails forni part of the circuit of an automatic electric signaling system.

In the insulated rail-joints in common use the adjoining ends of the rails are supported by a metallic chair or bridging-plate extending across the joint and provided at one or both sides of the rails with upright flanges. Between these flanges and the webs of the rails wood packings or fillings are interposed, and through these packings the rail-Webs and the flanges of the chairs transverse fasteningbolts are passed. This construction requires insulating material to be interposed not only between the ends of the rails,but also between their bases and the metallic chairs and between the transverse bolts and the flanges of the chairs. In such a construction the wood fillings and the insulation between the ends of the rails in time become crushed, requiring frequent renewal, and the bottom insulation becomes battered by the settling of the rails and wears out rapidly, rendering the joint expensive to maintain and unsafe and unreliable in use.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an insulated joint of this kind which dispenses with the use of chairs or bottom plates and yet possesses the necessary strength and rigidity to withstand the strain to which it is subjected, thus doing away with all bottom and side insulation and producing a more durable and economical joint.

The invention has the further object to improve `the construction of the joint with a view of permitting the use of an insulating layer of increased area between the ends 4of the rails, so as to prevent crushing of the same by the expansion of the rails.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a fragmentary side elevation of a pair of rails connected by my improved joint. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, partly in section. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sections in lines 3 3 and Serial No. 113,375. (No model.)

4 4, Figr2. Fig. 5 is a detached face view of the insulating-plate between the ends of the rails. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of the fish-plates.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A indicates the adjoining rails, which are secured to the usual ties A. Each rail 'is provided on'opposite sides with a pair of longitudinal fish-plates B B, which are secured thereto by transverse bolts b, passing through the two plates and the web of the rail. The upper edges of these plates rest against the under side of the head of the rail, while their feet or base portions B preferably extend outward some distance and rest upon the base of the rail and the ties. The plates of each pair terminate short of the end of the corresponding rail and are provided at their front ends with transverse vertical flanges C, which extend laterally from the plates, the faces of these flanges being practically iiush with the 'end'of the rail. Through the opposing vertical flanges of the two pairs of fish-plates pass longitudinal tie or draw bolts D, which rmly secure the adjoining rails together.

The rails are insulated from each other by one or more layers E of suitable material, such as vulcanized ber, which is interposed ing faces of the two sets of Iianges C, as shown in Figs. l and 2. For this purpose the strip of insulating material extends across the full width of the joint between the rails and said anges, the same being preferably cut to follow the outline of the heads of the rails and said flanges.

No insulation is required between the transverse bolts b and the railsand fish-plates B; but the longitudinal bolts D are insulated from the transverse flanges C by fiber or other bushings or thimbles f surrounding the bolts and having flanges f2 arranged between the vbetween the ends of the rails and the opposheads and nuts of theboltsand the transverse iianges C.

In order to increase` the strength ofthe joint, the front or meeting portions of the' IOO the lower edges of these widened portions. The latter are formed by bending down the portions of the fish-plate blanks immediately in rear of the flanges C, producing oblique stiffening-webs B3 at the junction of the horizontal base portions B and the depending or widened portions B2 of the plates, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

It will be observed that in this improved joint no metallic chair or bridging-plate eX- tends across the bottom of the adjoining rails; but the deepened or widened -portions B2 of the two sets of fish-plates forma bridge or reinforcement which compensates for the absence of such a chair or plate and renders the joint practically as strong and rigid as a joint employing a chair. By doing away with such a chair or bottom plate the bottom insulation which must accompany the chair is dispensed with, thus effecting a material saving in insulating material and labor and also avoiding the expense of the frequent renewals incident to the use of such bottom insulation. This construction also dispenses with the use of insulation between the fish-plates and the rails and between the transverse bolts b and the fish-plates.

My improved joint employs no insulation where pressure is brought to bear and liable to wear out the insulation. It requires insulation only between the ends of the rails and between the opposing flanges of the fishplates and theirlongitudinal connecting-bolts D, and therefore effects a large saving not only in the original cost of installing the signaling system, but also in the cost of maintenance. The joint thus combines the important advantages of economy, safety, strength, and durability.

The transverse flanges C at the ends of the rails besides providing means for firmly drawing the ends of the rails together by the use of longitudinal bolts afford extensive bearingsurfaces for the main insulating layer Ein addition to the comparatively small surfaces formed by the ends of the rails. This permits the insulating layer to be made so large in area as to avoid all liability of its being crushed by the expansion of the rails.

I claim as my invention-` 1. An insulated rail-joint, comprising lishplates secured to adjacent rails on oppositeV sides of the joint between the same and proo vided at their opposing ends with transverse flanges, the flanges of the plates secured to the same rail having their faces arranged substantially flush with the end of the corresponding rail, insulating material interposed between the ends of the rails and the opposing flanges of the fish-plates, and connectingbolts passing through said opposing flanges, substantially as set forth.

5. An insulated rail-joint comprising two pairs of fish-plates secured to adjacent rails on opposite sides of the joint between the same and having widened front portions which eX- tend vertically below the base of the rails, said widened portions being provided at the ends of the rails with transverse flanges, insulating material interposed between the ends of the rails, and fastenings connecting the opposing flanges of said plates, substantially as set forth.

6. An insulatedrail-joint comprising two pairs of fish-plates secured to adjacent rails on opposite sides of the joint between the same and having widened front portions which eX- tend vertically below the base of the rails, said widened portions being provided at the ends of the rails with transverse flanges, insulating material interposed between the ends of the rails, longitudinal draw-bolts passing through the opposing flanges of said plates, and insulating material interposed between said bolts and flanges, substantially as set forth.

7. An insulated rail-joint comprising two pairs of fish-plates secured to adjacent rails on opposite sides ofthe joint between the same and each provided with a base-flange and a widened front portion extending vertically below said base-flange and provided at its front end with a transverse flange, insulating material interposed between the ends of the rails and the opposing flanges of said plates, and longitudinal connecting bolts passing through said opposing fiangesand insulated therefrom, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 20th day of June, 1902.

MICHAEL J. GREENEY.

Witnesses:

'CARL F. GEYER, THEO. L. PoPP.

IOO

IIO 

